Lauf, known for reviving Wired magazine after the dot-com crash, became publisher of The Atlantic in early 2008.

The 150-year-old magazine was respected for its journalistic excellence but losing $3 million to $5 million a year, The New York Times reported at the time. “The subject matter dovetails perfectly with my Conn background as an English and history major, and the business challenge is among the most exciting in magazine publishing today,” Lauf said.

Smith told Advertising Age that The Atlantic will make a profit this year for the first time in many decades, and that the magazine has added almost 20 to its staff this year.

He said it helped that Lauf was a huge fan of The Atlantic. "Hiring Jay was like finding the needle in the haystack," Smith said. "He is a strategic driver of revenue who cares deeply about the world of thinking and ideas."